Counterfeit money detector



J. H. RUTH COUNTERFEIT MONEY DETECTOR Filed Jan. 5, 1939 #4M/4% /VENTOR'BY A ORNEY.

Patented `lune 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to devices for detecting counterfeit money.

One object of the invention is to provide a device for detectingcounterfeit money by im- 5 proved means affording direct magniedcomparison with known genuine money.

Another object of the invention is to furnish an improved device of thecharacter described of relatively inexpensive, simple, and compactconstruction whereby bills of different denominations can be rapidlycompared with known genuine bills without causing eye strain and withoutrequiring that too much dependence be placed on the judgment orreliability of the observer.

Heretofore it has been known to examine money by carefully noting thethreads or colored strands therein, in order to detect spurious bills.This method depended solely on the fact that paper money is laminated,with fine colored strands incorporated in or between the laminations.Counterfeit bills were known to have-delicate colored ink marks tosimulate the colored strands referred to. Hence the observer requiredexperience and had to examine the bills very closely, generally with theunaided eye so that a spurious bill would often escape detection.

The present invention aims to provide a device which is adapted foruniversal use by retailers, supply houses and other commercial concerns,as

3o well as by banks. It aims to relieve the observer of the strainpreviously imposed on him by providing a novel method of comparison ofthe money submitted, with known genuine bills, 'oy reference to theprinting on the bills so that the finest lines, dots and spaces orbreaks can be noted at a glance. This method is inherently more suitedto the ordinary observer than the method of studying the coloredstrands, because the eye is accustomed to making comparisons, and its 4accuracy in this regard is easily developed. However, should theobserver so desire, he may also use my device for a magnified inspectionof the colored strands or texture of the paper particularly at thepoints bearing the numerals denoting the amount of the bill, becausefrequently these numerals are changed on an otherwise genuine bill.

It is therefore a further object of the invention to provide an improveddevice for accom- 5 plishing the method and the advantages abovereferred to.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe specification proceeds.

u With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described intheir preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, andillustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by5= the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view on the line I-I of Fig. 2, showinga device embodying 10 the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized whenall of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the 15same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodyingr less thanthe whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertans, that the same may be incorporated in several different conostructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely asshowing the preferred exemplication of the invention.

Referring in detail, I0 denotes a device for detecting counterfeit papermoney, embodying the invention; and it will be understood that thisdevice .is also adapted to detect counterfeit signatures and the like,as will be evident. This device includes a casing I I which islongitudinally vertically split at I2 to provide a plurality of sep- 30arate casing sections I3 and I4. These may be suitably interconnected asby bolts I5 to provide a rigid structure. As thus arranged, the casing II affords a top chamber IB dened by front and rear walls I1, I8respectively, side Walls I9, 20 respectively, and a forwardly downwardlysloping top wall 2I. The lower part of the casing II may be consideredas providing a base 22, adapted to be closed by a plate 23 which may beremovably secured thereto by screws, or which may removably snap intothe rabbet 24 marginally formed in the base. The forward part of thelatter may project frontward as at 25, so that a table or other support26 may lead invward therefrom, in parallel relation to the top wall 2|.Formed in the side walls I9, 20, along the plane of the table 26, areslots 2'I which extend inward from a transverse entrance slot 28 in thefront wall I'I, up to a point 29 at which the slots 21 terminate intapered form to releas- 50 ably clamp or snugly engage a bill, ashereinafter more fully described. It will now be perceived that bysplitting the casing II, as well as the table 26, along the plane at I2,a very simple structure is afforded, which is adapted to be eas 55 ilymolded, and which, except for the plate 23, may consist of only twoparts, namely, the casing sections I3, I4. It will be appreciated thatthe easing II may be made of any other size, shape, structure orarrangement.

Journaled in the walls I9, 20 is a shaft 30 carrying a turntable orpolygonal rotor 3| aflixed thereto, having any number of faces, butbeing desirably in the form of an equilateral triangle in cross section,so that bills in 5, 10 and 20 dollar' denominations may be easilyangularly applied to said faces as hereinafter described. Aflixed to theshaft 3l) externally of the casing II is a polygonal indicator 32, inthis case triangular, and bearing numerals at 33 corresponding to thedenominations of the bills on the turntable 3|, it being understood thatthe faces of the latter and of the indicator are alined to correspondwith each other. A head 34 may be affixed to the indicator or to theshaft 30 for causing rotation. To set the device against accidentalmovement, the indicator 32 may have on its inner face a rigid tit orprojection 35 located adjacent to a corner of the triangle, and adaptedto engage in any one of three recesses 36 formed in the outer face ofthe side wall I9, to hold the turntable in any one of its threeoperative positions. For a resilient snap engagement of the tit 35 inthe recesses 36, an expansion coil spring 31 may extend around the shaft3l) and bear against the side wall I9 and an end of the turntable tothus actuate the longitudinally movable shaft 30 to pull the indicator32 against the wall I9, whereby the engagement at 35, 36 will operatereleasably in a well known manner. If desired, longitudinal movement ofthe shaft 3B may be limited in any well known manner.

Formed in the top wall 2l of the casing II is an opening 38 provided inthe mating casing sections I3, I4, said opening affording an annularseat for a magnifying accurately ground and highly polished lens 39 thatmay be suitably secured as by a bezel 40. This acnromatic objective lensis of sufficiently large diameter to embrace in its field the upper faceof the turn table 3I and a substantial area of the fixed table 26, andyet to afford relatively high magnification at a small focal distance,whereby the device I0 may be kept small and compact.

A source of light, such as an electric lamp 4I may have its base 42mounted on a support which may include bracket arms 43 formed for thispurpose on the individual casing sections I3, I4. The lamp may belocated along the center plane of the casing II, and a refiector 44therefor may extend the full width of the casing II and may be suitablyaixed to the rear wall I8. The arrangement is such that the lamp andreflector are adapted to project light with substantially equalintensity upon the upper face of the turntable 3l and upon the fixedtable 26, and yet to lie rearward out of the field of vision of the lens39.

Il desired, a switching device may be provided for automaticallycausingthe lamp 4I to light when a bill such as 45 is inserted for comparison,and to cause the lamp to be deenergized when the bill is withdrawn. Fora reason hereinafter indicated, the bill is longitudinally foldedadjacent to one edge, as at 46, and this fold which is of greaterstiffness than the rest of the bill, may be utilized to causecounterclockwise swinging motion of a bell crank lever 41, about its pinor shaft 48 that is afxed to the side wall I9. A

move the latter clockwise.

light, tension coil spring 49 is affixed at 50 to the side wall I9 andis connected to the lever 41 to The other arm 5I of the bell crank leveris adapted to engage a spring contact 52 aiiixed to the side wall I9.The circuit to the lamp may include a lead 53 entering the casing I Ithrough a hole, with one wire 54 of the lead being directly connected tothe lamp base, and the other wire 55 being connected to the bell cranklever preferably adjacent to its axis. A wire 56 may connect the contact52 with the lamp base. By arranging the bell crank lever and its switchadjacent to a side wall of the casing, there is no obstruction inapplying bills to the faces of the turntable 3|. Since the fixed table26 may end short of the ends of the slots 21, this table may act as astop to limit movement of the lever 41 under tension of the spring 49.

I have found that it is desirable in detecting counterfeit money to makethe comparison principally with the head or picture of a person that isalways carried by paper money. Hence I arrange the bills that are to bemounted on the turntable 3I by folding each bill several times, intosmall, compact and thin form so as to leave the head fully exposed. Itis naturally desirable to maintain the bills intact and also to permittheir easy removal at night when the place of business is closed. HenceI provide channel elements 51 extending along the ends of each face ofthe turntable, each element being closed at one end to form a stop, forwhich reason these elements may be of U-sliaped form, so that there is alongitudinally extending channel element 53 on each face of theturntable. It will now be seen that the folded genuine bills abovedescribed, denoted by the numerals 59, may be slid in place to be eachmarginally held down on three edges by the channel elements referred to.By providing a turntable of triangular form, each of l these foldedbills can be easily inserted and relnoved at a large obtuse angle whenthe device I0 is inverted and the plate 23 removed.

It will be noted that the arrangement is such that the fold edge 49 olthe bill 45 cornes directly against an adjacent edge of any one of thebills 59, to obtain maximum proximity, and that the tapered slotportions at 29 not only form stops for the bill 45 but snugly hold thesam-e down on the table 26. In order that the exposed faces of the bills45, 59 lie in a single plane for accurate comparison through the lens39, the turntable 3l may be of such size as to allow for the thicknessof the folded bills 59. It will be understood that the fold 46 in thebill 45 is so located that the heads on the bills 45 and 59 are indirect juxtaposition.

Since each denomination of paper money carries its individual head, theobserver is bound to note a bill whose amount has been raised.

The manner of using the device Il! will now be described. The operatorfolds known genuine bills as described and applies them to the turntablefaces to correspond with the numerals at 33. He then secures the plate23 in position and the device I0 is ready for use. A bill that issubmitted is longitudinally folded as hereinbefore described, and isinserted in the slots 21 as far as it will go. Thus the bell crank lever41 is operated to close the circuit to the lamp 4I. Now the operatorlooks through the lens 39 and instantly detects the slightestdiscrepancies. If inspection of any other part of the bill 45 isdesired, the same may be slid transversely of the table and viewedthrough the lens 39, while the lamp is lit. The device I0 may be made sosmall, that it can be mounted on a cash register so as to be unnoticedby a customer. It may be made larger for banks, and may be arranged forinspection of a larger portion of the bill as desired.

I claim:

1. A device for detecting counterfeit bills, including a casingproviding a chamber, a polygonal turntable rotatable about itshorizontal axis and presenting on its different faces comparison indiciafor bills of different denominations, the casing having means forsupporting a bill in the chamber including slots along a plane thatcoincides with the plane of an upper face of the turntable, said slotsextending along the front and side Walls of the casing for the insertionof a bill Whose ends project outside of said chamber, means for rotatingthe turntable, a source of light in the casing, and a magnifying lens onthe casing embracing in its field of vision the upper face of theturntable and a portion of the chamber adjacent thereto for a directcomparison of the bill with said indicia, the slots in the side wallshaving tapered end portions for snugly clampingly engaging a billinserted thereinto.

2. A device for detecting counterfeit bills, including a casingproviding a chamber, a polygonal turntable rotatable about itshorizontal axis and presenting on its different faces comparison indiciafor bills of different denominations, the casing having means forsupporting a bill in the chamber including slots along a plane thatcoincides with the plane of an upper face of the turntable, said slotsextending along the front and side walls of the casing for the insertionof a bill whose ends project outside of said chamber, means for rotatingthe turntable, a source of light in the casing, and a magnifying lens onthe casing embracing in its eld of vision the upper face of theturntable and a portion of the chamber adjacent thereto for a directcomparison of the bill with said indicia, a polygonal head outside ofthe casing being connected to the turntable, the faces ol` said headbeing alined with those of the turntable, and indicia on the faces ofthe head corresponding to the indicia on the faces of the turntable,

3. A device for detecting counterfeit money, including a casingproviding a chamber, a turntable in said chamber for mounting differentcomparison indicia, said chamber having a slot opening for insertion ofa bill, means within said chamber for mounting the bill inserted in saidslot, a source of light in the chamber for illuminating the turntableand, said bill mounting means, and a single magnifying lens mounted on awall of the chamber and embracing within its eld of vision the turntableand a portion of the bill mounting means for direct magnified comparisonof the bill with said indicia, the bill mounting means including a tableintegral with the casing, the latter being longitudinally verticallysplit through the lens opening and the table and providing two casingsections, each having a portion of the slot opening, and means forconnecting together said casing sections.

JOHN H. RUTH.

